Even though Drush is listed as a module on drupal.org, it's not actually a module. It is something you will need to install on your server, not upload through Drupal's module management.

If you are familiar with using shell access and the command line for doing things like copying, moving, backing up, and installing, you'll get the hang of Drush right away. If you're not familiar with either, don't worry if the concepts in this tutorial are confusing at first. With our help and some persistence, you will get the hang of it quickly.

Yes, this tutorial is a simplification, perhaps even an over-simplification. This tutorial is called the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Drush for a reason. It's a simple introduction to a complex topic. Those expecting a great level of detail are advised to visit http://drupal.org/node/477684">this Drupal.org page.

Step 1: Setting up SSH Access

To access the server directly from your computer you will need shell (SSH) access.

What is SSH? Technically, SSH allows you to control another computer (ie, your web server) over the Internet through a command line interface (CLI). SSH is actually included by default on many Mac and Linux computers.

You will probably need to get your hosting company to enable SSH for you. Most hosting companies won't have this turned on for you.

Step 2: Install PuTTy and Connect

There are many ways that you can connect to your site using SSH, but in this example we're going to use Putty.

Once you open PuTTy, it will ask you for the domain name or IP address you'll use to login. Enter that information as in the image below:

As soon as you enter your host name and click Open, you'll be taken to the command line screen. This will be a black screen with white text as in the image below.

Putty will ask you for your login username and password. This will often be identical to your FTP login or hosting account login.

You'll know that you logged in successfully if you get a message like the one below. That means that you're connected and ready to start work. If you get an Access Denied message, you'll need to try your details again.